RFD Official Detailing Thread - Post all Detailing/Paint Related Questions here!

[flyz]

Thanks again for the tips. I'm planning to wash my car very soon! I'm really worried about scratching it so just wanted to see if there's any last tips for drying it?

I have 2 buckets ready, lots of soap, new wash mitt The washing part usually goes well, but I know drying is when you can cause the most swirls/scratches. I've tried "sheeting" but it seems like there's still tons of water left. I have microfiber towels but they seem to get completely soaked after just 1 panel and unable to dry off the water. I usually end up just rubbing the car all over with the MF towel until clean but I don't think this is OK for a black car. I read once to slowly drag the towel over the panels, but this just wasn't working like I thought it would. Any tips?

Sheeting only works well on a waxed car. I would get 2 large waffle weave towels and go from there. If you're really anal about touching the paint, you can use an electric leaf blower/shopvac blower to get their cars dried.

Speaking of which, today might be a good day to rewax since the sun is not out , and it seems like we'll have a nice stretch of sunny weather.

[df329]

Sheeting only works well on a waxed car. I would get 2 large waffle weave towels and go from there. If you're really anal about touching the paint, you can use an electric leaf blower/shopvac blower to get their cars dried.

Speaking of which, today might be a good day to rewax since the sun is not out

Hmmm, blower sounds like it could be a good idea but maybe too much effort

I bought two of these at CT: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brows....jsp?locale=en

I think I'll try just gently dragging these across and see how it goes!

[NirvanaFC]

I was driving behind an old crappy SUV on highway yesterday, and then a piece of metal fell off that SUV's underside and hit my car's hood and bumper. Needless to say, my car got scratched. Here are the photos: http://imageshack.us/g/62/20110828130938.jpg/
Will waxing fix the scratches? Or do I need to repaint the hood and the bumper? What about using touch-up pens? Thank you in advance.

[picus]

I was driving behind an old crappy SUV on highway yesterday, and then a piece of metal fell off that SUV's underside and hit my car's hood and bumper. Needless to say, my car got scratched. Here are the photos: http://imageshack.us/g/62/20110828130938.jpg/
Will waxing fix the scratches? Or do I need to repaint the hood and the bumper? What about using touch-up pens? Thank you in advance.

Wow that stinks! Wax won't fix that, it may hide it a bit but it will eventually wash off and the scuff will re-appear. The scuff on the hood *may* be transfer, in which case it would buff off...but if it's into the primer (which is may be, can't tell from pics), it would likely need a re-spray. You could touch up, sand, and compound, but given the size of the scuff it probably wouldn't come out 100%.

[NirvanaFC]

Wow that stinks! Wax won't fix that, it may hide it a bit but it will eventually wash off and the scuff will re-appear. The scuff on the hood *may* be transfer, in which case it would buff off...but if it's into the primer (which is may be, can't tell from pics), it would likely need a re-spray. You could touch up, sand, and compound, but given the size of the scuff it probably wouldn't come out 100%.

Yeah, bad luck, I know. I bought a lotto 649 right after, so maybe I'll get it back . Anyways, how much is it approximately, including labor, to repaint the hood? What about repainting both the hood and the bumper?

[mkjr]

great thread.

i am about to take delivery tonight of a new LS350. starfire pearl white with parchment leather interior. this is my first car in the last...i would say, 14 years that was not company supplied. with those, i rarely cared about the same and would usually use the old esso car washes to clean it when i remember to.

it is now a different ball game. is autogeek.net the best source for product?

also, i want to make sure i do not screw up early before i can get some good product.

therefore does somone have a good starter kit that i might be able to pick up locally. i am sure it might cost more but at least it will get me started.

would also need to have some waterless wash products since i live in a condo and will have to do much inside with limited water.

again, TOTAL noob to all this but know i can screw up fast and that mistakes early would be hard to fix later.

one thing that i would like is some advice for some interior products since i have a 4 year old and will have to constantly be making sure any stains etc. and cleaned asap etc.

thanks for your time.

[redac]

great thread.

i am about to take delivery tonight of a new LS350. starfire pearl white with parchment leather interior. this is my first car in the last...i would say, 14 years that was not company supplied. with those, i rarely cared about the same and would usually use the old esso car washes to clean it when i remember to.

it is now a different ball game. is autogeek.net the best source for product?

also, i want to make sure i do not screw up early before i can get some good product.

therefore does somone have a good starter kit that i might be able to pick up locally. i am sure it might cost more but at least it will get me started.

would also need to have some waterless wash products since i live in a condo and will have to do much inside with limited water.

again, TOTAL noob to all this but know i can screw up fast and that mistakes early would be hard to fix later.

one thing that i would like is some advice for some interior products since i have a 4 year old and will have to constantly be making sure any stains etc. and cleaned asap etc.

thanks for your time.

Some guys like Optimum No Rinse to save water but I'm not convinced it won't leave swirls in your paint.

If you are ordering from the US, try detailersdomain.com . Phil is really helpful if you have any questions.

Local to Toronto (Markham), http://nextmod.com/webstore/index.ph...view&page_id=1 They have a few things to get you started.

[Boods]

http://www.eshine.ca has quite a selection.

[nielboy]

great thread.

i am about to take delivery tonight of a new LS350. starfire pearl white with parchment leather interior. this is my first car in the last...i would say, 14 years that was not company supplied. with those, i rarely cared about the same and would usually use the old esso car washes to clean it when i remember to.

it is now a different ball game. is autogeek.net the best source for product?

also, i want to make sure i do not screw up early before i can get some good product.

therefore does somone have a good starter kit that i might be able to pick up locally. i am sure it might cost more but at least it will get me started.

would also need to have some waterless wash products since i live in a condo and will have to do much inside with limited water.

again, TOTAL noob to all this but know i can screw up fast and that mistakes early would be hard to fix later.

one thing that i would like is some advice for some interior products since i have a 4 year old and will have to constantly be making sure any stains etc. and cleaned asap etc.

thanks for your time.

The first thing I'd do with that Lexus (and I know from experience) is get the hood, nose and bumper done with the Ventureshield Clearbra.

Lexus paint is so thin and brittle it chips if you blow on it.

We did part of the hood and tips of the fenders but not the nose/bumper and totally regret it. One year later we've got nearly 20 stone chips.

[flyz]

great thread.

i am about to take delivery tonight of a new LS350. starfire pearl white with parchment leather interior. this is my first car in the last...i would say, 14 years that was not company supplied. with those, i rarely cared about the same and would usually use the old esso car washes to clean it when i remember to.

it is now a different ball game. is autogeek.net the best source for product?

also, i want to make sure i do not screw up early before i can get some good product.

therefore does somone have a good starter kit that i might be able to pick up locally. i am sure it might cost more but at least it will get me started.

would also need to have some waterless wash products since i live in a condo and will have to do much inside with limited water.

again, TOTAL noob to all this but know i can screw up fast and that mistakes early would be hard to fix later.

one thing that i would like is some advice for some interior products since i have a 4 year old and will have to constantly be making sure any stains etc. and cleaned asap etc.

thanks for your time.

Contact Larry and he'll hook you up. http://forums.redflagdeals.com/car-p...orough-897854/

Look into getting 2 5 gal buckets (Home depot has them for $5ish), a grout sponge if you're going ONR/wash mitts otherwise. Some waffle weave microfiber and any wax that Larry sells.

[mkjr]

The first thing I'd do with that Lexus (and I know from experience) is get the hood, nose and bumper done with the Ventureshield Clearbra.

Lexus paint is so thin and brittle it chips if you blow on it.

We did part of the hood and tips of the fenders but not the nose/bumper and totally regret it. One year later we've got nearly 20 stone chips.

any recs in downtown TO or nearby? general cost?

[nielboy]

any recs in downtown TO or nearby? general cost?

I had mine done by Marco from Advanced Mobile. He will come to you and is by far one of the best in the GTA.

http://www.advancedmobilegroup.net/

He is a really busy guy so if you want him for the job, best get a quote from him and book it right away.

If you want the whole front end of the car done you could be looking at anywhere from $600-$1000 I think.

[sandy_beach]

While away for the long weekend i spent some time washing and waxing my car by hand. I was very meticulous when waxing and saw all surfaces at different angles in daylight to make sure the car was smooth all around. It was scratch free and looked great. It is a 2009 BMW and the colour is space grey.

For the drive back another family member drove the car (I had to drive a different car back) and afterwards they had washed it. When I went to pickup my car I looked at it very carefully and could see these micro scratches everywhere and I was pissed to say the least after the time I speant waxing it. I asked what kind of car wash they washed it at they said a touchless car wash at a Shell gas station. I am quite convinced that a brush of some sort was used. Now I must remove all of the scratches.

What is the process to removing all of the scratches? Can using just wax and an orbital buffer/polisher do the job? If not can you recommend to me what I need to do.

[flyz]

While away for the long weekend i spent some time washing and waxing my car by hand. I was very meticulous when waxing and saw all surfaces at different angles in daylight to make sure the car was smooth all around. It was scratch free and looked great. It is a 2009 BMW and the colour is space grey.

For the drive back another family member drove the car (I had to drive a different car back) and afterwards they had washed it. When I went to pickup my car I looked at it very carefully and could see these micro scratches everywhere and I was pissed to say the least after the time I speant waxing it. I asked what kind of car wash they washed it at they said a touchless car wash at a Shell gas station. I am quite convinced that a brush of some sort was used. Now I must remove all of the scratches.

What is the process to removing all of the scratches? Can using just wax and an orbital buffer/polisher do the job? If not can you recommend to me what I need to do.

No, wax doesn't have any cutting power. It's just a top layer to protect paint, though some have slight filling properties and will make your paint look better. I'm not a fan of filling products because the defects are still there....
So you'll need to get a polish or some sort. You can get Meguiars Ultimate Polish for over the counter stuff and it should work.

I drive by a coin-op every day and whenever I see someone use their brushes, I die a little inside.

[Boods]

No, wax doesn't have any cutting power. It's just a top layer to protect paint, though some have slight filling properties and will make your paint look better. I'm not a fan of filling products because the defects are still there....
So you'll need to get a polish or some sort. You can get Meguiars Ultimate Polish for over the counter stuff and it should work.

I drive by a coin-op every day and whenever I see someone use their brushes, I die a little inside.

The oils in Meguiar's Ultimate Polish can also potentially hide scratches by filling them and making them disappear to the eye before they've actually been polished out. Since it's always best to use the least aggressive product possible I'd agree with the suggestion you give Ultimate Polish a try and then see if the imperfections reappear later. If they do, you'll either have to work the polish longer the next time or go with something more aggressive like Meguiar's Ultimate Compound and then following it up with Ultimate Polish before waxing/sealing (Meguiar's Ultimate Liquid Wax is an absolutely fantastic product to follow up that combo).

I, too, die a little inside when I see someone doing the brush thing. I wash my car at home and then drive to the coin wash to use their spot-free water to make my life easier and when I was there today I watched a guy using the foaming brush all over his newish BMW. I just cringed.